Zolsenda (Blood Toll)
Zolsenda (The Blood Toll) There has been some discussion already about the peculiar nature of Muzina bloodcells. Their Racial Ability is directly related to this unique organic chemistry. In a normal circumstance, the blood cells in a Muzina's body consume everything in their path and, once consumed, determine if the consumed particles are beneficial - in which case they are ferried off to the appropriate part of the body where they are required - or detrimental - in which case they are broken down/quarantined and deposited for excretion. However there are are 3 scenarios in which this elegant balance is disturbed and it is on these 3 circumstances that the Zolsenda is based. First is the introduction of certain chemicals/hormones into the body that cause a change in the behaviour and nature of the blood cells. The first type is a naturally occurring poison in the shekka mushroom which is dried, steeped and concentrated to be administered orally. This poison, called Albeyekin, causes a reaction in the blood so that the body produces high quantities of adrenal and does not dump them from the system for several hours and distributes it during this time to both muscles and nerves, making physical sensations rise to such a peak that they become overwhelming and block out all other thought or desire with their pain. In this state, the gentlest of sensations vecomes excruciating to the point of nausea; hearing becomes a deafening roar. Male Test It is under the effects of Albeyekin that Muzina boys take their Test of Pain to become men. There are Houses of the Test of Pain throughout Muzin, upkept by law of the Regent. A Muzina boy who has just experienced his first erection enters the House of the Test of Pain (or Ops Thazu liyn Gekyth lin Kinzin) with an older male figure in his life (usually his Father, but it can be an uncle or older brother, even a tutor if no one else is available). The Guards of Ops Thazu administer the Albeyekin, and the boy strips down to nudity. He waits in a circular chamber outfitted with all the implements needed for the Test of Pain and the Guards check on him by blowing on the back of his neck. When the boy experiences pain from this light sensation, he's ready to begin. The boy must now try to master his body and control his responses. For the duration of the Gekyth lin Kinzin he cannot scream, vomit or pass out. If he does any of these the Test ends and his place in society is determnied by how far he reached before giving in. The First Tier of the Gekyth liyn Kinzin is 10 blows with switches and short whips. The target area is from the base of the neck to the back of the knees. Only the backside is allowed to be struck. While the boys begin standing, they almost always end up on hands and knees by the end of the First Tier and this is not thought badly of. If the boy doesn't manage to withstand 3 of these blows he is not considered ready to a man and is patched up and sent home. This rarely happens and is considered very shameful. The boy must then wait a year before reattempting. If he makes it to 5 blows and then fails, he is assigned a menial labour job which he has to keep until the time he displays some other talent or aptitude. These jobs usually include non-magical, low-responsibility, low-skilled jobs like garbage removal, simple mending and courier. If the boy succeeds 10 blows but fails on the 10th, he gets a choice between the menial labour jobs. If he succeeds all 10 he can go on to Second Tier. If he ends somewhere between 5 and 10 he is placed in whichever group he was closer to when he failed. Between First and Second Tiers there is usually a 5 minute respite, though the boy has the right to wave this break. At this point the Healers are admitted to watch in case the boy's body gets to a point of dire need for treatment lest they die under the blows. The average Muzina generally makes it to the end of First Tier but cracks under the first blows of Second Tier. Second Tier is 20 blows with a Cat o' Nine Tails and chains. If the boy fails before the 5th blow of Second Tier he gains the same station as having completed First Tier. If he makes it to 10 blows and fails, he gains a small amount of goods to start off his life and gets to choose what his career will be. If he succeeds all 20 blows and fails, he gains a slightly larger treasure, chooses his own career and is set up with a tutor to better learn his craft. Less than 30% of the male populous reaches this point. Between Second and Tertiary Tiers there is a 10 minute respite when the Healers can be consulted again to treat critical injury. Tertiary Tier is 35 brands with heated irons. While the brands are only applied to the body long enough to steam the moisture in the skin - a little less than 3 seconds - the blows are carefully administered between both shreds of undamaged skin that survived the previous two rounds of whippings and fresh wounds from the preceeding blows. Very few make it to the 5th burn, and these will gain the status from finishing Second Tier. Those who fail at the 10th blow can choose their own career and gain a modest treasure, a plot of land on which to live and a Tolka (a commrade/assistant/man-at-arms). Those prestigious few who make it to the 20th blow gain a moderate treasure, a plot of land and a platoon of men equal to the blows the managed to take from Tertiary Tier (i.e. 15 blows = 15 men), in addition to 2 Tolka. Next to none make it to 30 blows - and those who do gain instant fame in addition to their prize of 3 Tolka, a platoon of men double the number of Tertiary Tier blows (i.e. 29 blows = 58 men), land that they have the option of registering for a purpose, and a hefty fortune. So few Muzina ever make it past this point that most Guards of the Test of Pain have never completed administering the Gekyth. Every one of the elite that completely finished all 35 brands became Regent in their day (with the exception of Zolar, who declined the post after succeeding in achieving it), and their names are known and sung in their Lakot liyn Ops Gerona, "Saga of the Great Heroes". These men gain crops, steeds, land, riches and a small army of men - generally between 300-325 men. After the Gekyth liyn Kinzin it is up to the Muzina to make the most of their start in life. Careers can be changed if they discover a better aptitude later in life without fear of losing respect. After the Test is done, the Muzina also has the option of keeping their wounds as scars or having them healed to perfection. This is up to personal preference and is perfectly acceptable either way. If the Muzina chooses to keep the scars (all or only their favourites) they are healed with medicinal salves and banaged. If they choose to have them fully mended, they are healed magically so that there will be no scarring. Female Test The women's Test of Pain happens when the woman has her first child and is to demonstrate emotional strength. Where men are to be physically strong to protect their families, businesses and country, the women are to master their emotions to keep a clear head for leadership and advice when their men get overwhelmed. In Muzin it is not shameful for a man to cry when sad or have a violent outburst when angry, but for women it is a social faux pas to do the same. When a Muzina woman becomes a mother, a hormone-based chemical change happens in her brain that makes her become territorial, protective and fiercely defensive. Adrenalin is released in a similar method as for the men, which lends the Muzina woman great endurance, strength and tenacity which is the root of the old wive's tales that say in giving birth an agitated Muzina woman can rend a full grown man limb from limb in her rage. The Muzina believe that the first child of the womb is incarnate of all the sins, misfortunes and evil of the ancestral line and must be cleansed. Those few First Born that have lived through the female Gekyth liyn Kinzin have grown to have lives cursed and doomed to violence, failure, misfortune and illness, so there seems to be a great amount of truth to the Muzina superstitions. Muzina gestation takes a full year from the date of conception (10 months), but since the Muzina women go into heat twice a year (in the months of 2nd Season (Taburez and Laselian) and in the months of 4th Season (Iesha and Kathazan)) children come in blooms. The month in which the child is conceived will also be the month in which it is born, so their astrology is based around these signs (discussed in the Religion section). When the woman gives birth to her First Born she usually births the babe at home,with the father of the child present, and is attended by a midwife (usually a registered Priestess). If the father of the child is unavailable (such as in the cases where the woman was raped and the father is unknown, or the father has died before the birth) the woman's father, brother etc will fill the position for her. By the time her water breaks, the woman will be under full influence of the unique hormones that create a state known as The Fever. She must then fight against her primal nature and try to resist the affects of the hormones in her system that will her to protect her newly born child. After the umbilical is cut, and the child is named so that it is assigned a soul by the Great Mother, she must hand the babe to the manaccompanying her and command him clearly and directly to kill the child. To do this task, a consecrated dagger is use - one associated with the smaller of the two moons, known as the Brother's Moon, red for life and crescent in shape. Now, considering that the women are supposed to be the emotionally mature half of Muzina society, it often takes some coaxing from the woman to talk her man through the act and she must watch the whole death of her infant. Only once the infant is dead, the umbilical is wound around the babe and its body is placed in the fire. Only then may the woman weep for her babe. Once the First Born is dead, her womb is considered cleansed and any children she chooses to have after that fact are blessed by the sacrifice of the First Born. Now, if the woman fails to sacrifice her child - either by refusing to give the order, snatching the babe from the man's arms to shield it or even escaping the room with the child, she fails her Test. In this case, she is captured by the midwife or father of the child and branded with Ey, the symbol of failure. Depending on how badly she failed her Gekyth, the brand will be put in more or less visible spots: for only failing at the end and commanding a stop the brand is generally put along the spine or on the buttocks where it can easily be covered. If she goes so far as to try to flee with the babe or fails to even issue the order, the brand is put on her face so that she cannot hide her failure from the world. When a woman fails the Test of Pain, the First Born will no longer be killed because the circle has been broken already by the woman's weakness, and her child is doomed to a cursed life. It is not considered the child's fault, but his mother's for his existence and the child is left in her care as a reminder of her weakness. The woman's spouse is granted the right to divorce her for her failure, and this option is often taken. Then the woman is given two weeks to leave her town or city to try to start again with all of her social standing revoked. At the end of two weeks she is free game to be hunted by the Imperial Hunters. If she has decided not to leave her village in that time, an active hunt will be begun for her. If she does leave an active hunt will not be initiated, but if a Hunter encounters her at a later date and sees her brand he's legally allowed to kill her if he feels she has not redeemed herself to equal standing as when she failed her Test. It is then up to the Hunter's judgment as to whether or not she has redeemed herself in her new life. If she has, she might be left alive. So, while the boy's Gekyth liyn Kinzin initiates his station in life, the women's potentially can shake everything she's worked for up until that point in time. This said, if she succeeds well she gains great honour and deference from her peers, making her a good counsel and heeded by others in matters of sense and law. Zolsenda (Racial Ability) The second and third scenarios in which the blood behaves differently are perhaps more well-known and even more misconstrued in foreign culture: The Blood Toll, or Zolsenda from which the Racial ability gets its name. This is an optional ability that a Muzina (after great consideration and trust) can choose to undertake with a fellow Muzina. The ceremony is a personal event, and does not need to be publicized. Usually the Bond is formed between best friends, siblings, lovers, spouses or rarely children and parents. It needs to be with someone you understand and are comfortable with, as well as someone you have frequent contact with and someone who will likely be with you for the rest of your life. Once a Muzina decides to start down the path of Zolsenda, there is no going back to a normal life. The Zolsenda is basically a transfusion of blood. More accurately, it is the ritual consuming of 1 quarter of your bond partner's blood through the wrist while he/she is likewise consuming a 4th of your own blood volume. Now, internally the unique Muzina bloodcells encounter a number of cells that are capable of the same phagocytic action and quarantine ability. A battle rages within the body as both types of blood fight to defend their own from these foreign cells. This fight releases neurotoxins that unleash some strange side-effects in the host body. Things like increased stamina, physical senses and telepathic connection to the one with whom you are bonded are just a few of the abilities are unlocked. It generally takes a year for this fight to fully run its course - the end result, of course, being that the more numerous cells eventually subdue and triumph over the alien cells. The Bond must then be renewed at the end of this year's time within 1 week of the original anniversary or the Muzina goes into withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms include hallucinations, writhing pain in the abdomen, headache, nausea, insatiable hunger and thirst, moodswings, delusions, fever, and temporary madness. The body during this period believes its missing 1 quarter of its volume - which of course it has since regrown and replaced with its own native cells in that time, but there is still a feeling of emptiness. During the withdrawal, the Muzina becomes very dangerous for breaking the Bond and feeding on whatever blood source is closest - which leads to a whole different aspect of the Zolsenda (discussed later). If the bond is not fulfilled, then the Muzina's heightened senses will fade and will never seem as bright as they were until they again exchange blood with their bond partner, and they will be plagued with depression, slothfulness, body aches and weakness until the Bond is refreshed. The Bond can only be fully broken if the bond partner dies. In this case, the surviving bond partner is said to experience every torment and pain of their bond partner's death as if they themselves were dying. They go into a coma-like state until their bond partner's soul has moved on to the afterlife, and only then to they awaken in a basically 'normal' state again. It is possible to create a new Zolsenda after this recovery. While within a state of bond, aside from the higher abilities that are unlocked, in times of need or stress, blood can be 'burned' to unlock even more potent abilities, though this causes temporary states of withdrawal afterwards which range in severity based on how much blood they consumed to perform the ability. (These will be discussed in the Abilities part below). So, while the Zolsenda can create a superMuzina, it is an extremely delicate and dangerous decision to make, and therefore is not something for everyone. At any given time, probably only 25 to 28% of the population undertakes a Zolsenda. The third scenario is what happens when someone becomes addicted tot he Zolsenda. There are two results of these: the YathRagazi or Lizka (Anteki). YathRagazi: (Translation: Flame-Stalker) This is what happens if a Muzina under a bond exchanges with their partner too soon before their anniversary arrives, such as after a burning of blood for an ability and the exchange is done to silence the withdrawal. It is also what happens if the Muzina misses their anniversary and loses control while in withdrawal and consumes another source of blood, making a cocktail of three blood signatures within their system. Now, turning into a YathRagazi in these circumstances is not guaranteed, but it is an extremely difficult thing to resist, and even if one manages to hang on to their sanity in the madness that ensues, and eventually recovers to their senses, it becomes exponentially harder and harder to resist the madness each subsequent time the exchange is made. Eventually they become a monster known as a YathRagazi. A YathRagazi retains the physical appearance of its original host, but becomes a grey creature - that is to say an undead or unholy thing. Their conscious mind is completed disolved, including all attachments, memory and soul. Their only driving concern is an absolutely insatiable need to consume more blood. Unfortunately, the YathRagazi unlocks nearly godlike power in its quest for more blood (discussed in Abilities) making them an extremely dangerous force to fight. Generally a YathRagazi's first act of business is to completely devour - flesh, blood and bones of their bond mate to make them 'complete' and then the full brunt of their powers are revealed. Hunters are one of the few classes that can have a hope of bringing them down, and even then they have to be clever, cautious and quick to trick the YathRagazi and trap them before the YathRagazi becomes aware of the Hunter's presence. Considering the fact that YathRagazi can withdraw blood from their targets without touching them from distances as great as 100 metres, and that their senses have reached a point of extrasensory perception that makes them aware of thought and intention in a primal, reflexive fashion, they are incredibly dangerous to deal with. A YathRagazi state can also ensue if the Muzina attempts to make a Bond with anyone who is not Muzina. Lizka and Anteki: Rarely, at the point of breaking when a Muzina is about to turn into a YathRagazi, the Goddess of the Muzina people, Isham, intervenes. In this event, since the soul of the Muzina is already dying, Isham removes this weak mortal spirit that cannot comprehend let alone control the power running through its host body and absorbs the soul into herself. In the absence of the host's natural soul, to prevent the Muzina from becoming a YathRagazi, Isham imbues the body with an Anteki - somewhat like a guardian angel. An Anteki is a soul that had previously been engulfed by Isham's power - either a priest or priestess that has been sacrificed or accepted by Isham, or another Muzina saved from the point of madness. Anteki have the knowledge of the Goddess, and since they are a part of her consciousness, the Muzina does not become a grey creature but becomes holy. All Anteki are technically female, and this aspect retains its own consciousness and power while within the Muzina host body keeping it alive. The Muzina may not even be aware of this change, because generally the experience is too much to comprehend, and the memory is absorbed and protected by the Anteki side of them lying dormant in their subconscious. The Muzina then continues with their life, and from this point on is what is known as a Lizka. All difficulty of dealing with their Zolsenda replaced by a sense of peace. However, when pushed to extremes, when they would normally burn blood to enact abilities, they instead go into a coma-like state and the Anteki takes control of the body, unleashing all the power equal to a YathRagazi, but with the Anteki's holy consciousness in control. Generally an Anteki fights for whatever was the strongest desire in her host before he/she lost control - such as defend my spouse, escape with my life, protect my child, etc. However, once the danger is averted and the Lizka regains consciousness and with it control of their body, it is hard to ignore the aftermath. Before long, the Muzina can become aware of the Anteki's presence and influence - some even choose to contact their Anteki directly through astral travel, divination or dreamscaping. If a Muzina were so inclined, they could focus on a desire and induce an episode - such as destroy an enemy, steal a flock of beasts, raize a crop, take over the country. And with the Anteki's consciousness, protection from on high and nearly godlike power, it would be nearly impossible to stop. For this reason, Lizka are also hunted down by Regent Law. While they will not be pursued beyond the borders of Muzin, so long as they stay in their homeland they will be under attack from those who deem them a treat. Abilities: There are a number of abilities that can be unlocked when a Muzina has a Zolsenda enacted. Some can only be used by veterans of the bond, others are only available to Lizka or YathRagazi. Note that all of the regular bond abilities are available to the Lizka, and all those that do not demand a connection with the bond partner are available to the YathRagazi. These stipulations will be listed in brackets after the ability name. Mental Link: (1 year+) Both Muzina in the Zolsenda have a mild telepathic link to one another, becoming sensitive to strong thoughts or emotions, danger to their partner and if making eye contact of communicating without Mind Speech or other magics. Fleet: (1 year+) The Muzina's reflexes become heroic - surpassing the normal limits of mortal beings, including their agility, reflexes and awareness. Similar states can be induced with magic, but these skill requires no connection to the Manna Weave or Huskline and exponentially grows in potency with every year they remain bonded. Resistance to Flame: (2 years+) Both Bond Mates experience a surface resistance to burning or pain at the touch of flame. While they can still be burned, they are not very flammable, making it harder to catch on fire, or scar if burned. This quality extends only to their skin and hair, and not to anything they may be contacting such as items or clothing. The Hunger: (4 years+) Both the Bond Mates are able to focus and call upon their blood lust to become a nearly berserker form in which damage is numbed and the Muzina becomes a flurry of attack until blood is drawn. This is a dangerous skill to enact, because if the Muzina fails to prevent themself from feeding on the blood they have drawn they can tangle their Zolsenda and may slip into a YathRagazi. Mental Bond: (5 years+) As with Mental Link, but the clarity of the connection is much stronger, enabling communication even at greater distances. It also enables either Muzina to meditate to be able to perceive the visual/audio and physical sensations of their Bond Mate's scenario. Under Mental Bond, the Muzina also is subject to empathy to some of the sensations their Bond Mate is experiences - both pleasureable or painful, which become harder and harder to block out the longer they remain bonded and the stronger the sensations become. Leather Hide: (7 years+) The Muzina's skin becomes harder to pierce without any armour. While with force they can still be punctured or run through, things like arrows (not including crossbows), darts, throwing weapons and thorns simply scratch the surface. Zol Render: (10 years+) Similar to a Muzina woman in labour, the Muzina gains the strength of grip to rend a target limb from limb with their bare hands, and can even puncture their opponent's body or light armour with a blow of their fingers. Zol Pyrokinesis: (YathRagazi) YathRagazi gain an ability to manipulate existing sources of flame without touching them, both physical and magical, but excluding Holy Flame. They can create walls of flame, bolts of flame and even fireballs to attack and defend themself. Blood Dowser: (YathRagazi) YathRagazi can sense the presence of blood in Muzina, other races, beasts even reptiles from up to 5 miles away and will consume the source as soon as they get into a close enough range to be able to consume the source regardless of what kind of blood it is. Unquenchable Thirst: (YathRagazi) YathRagazi are able to withdraw blood from any target they can sense the blood of without even contacting the creature from up to 100 metres away. No matter how much blood a YathRagazi consumes they will never be sated, hence why it is common to find them terrorizing flocks of beasts where there is a plentiful source of food. Strength of the Monster: (Lizka/YathRagazi) The host becomes strong beyond the limits of mortal capacity, able to lift up to 6 tons of weight at a time. Zol Flight: (Lizka/YathRagazi) The host can move through a form of telekinesis that enables them to speed forward or upward without regard for land, sea or sky wthout needing to move their limbs to propel them. The speed through which they can move in this state is relative to the amount of blood they have consumed. Immunity to Flame: (Lizka/YathRagazi) In Lizka or YathRagazi, the host becomes impervious to damage by fire both physical and magical. The one exception here is Holy Flame still damages YathRagazi. But the host could be fully immersed in fire and they will not combust. Zol Holy Fire: (Lizka) The Lizka alternative to Zol Pyrokinesis, the Lizka can actually create fire from thin air which has the Holy quality making it harder to channel, and does double the damage to grey creatures and can only be doused with magical means. Prayer to Isham: (Lizka) Anteki are able to talk directly to the Goddess and can call down her Miracles if needed. (See Religion for Isham's Miracles) Cultural Implications: Because the Racial Ability can be enacted by any citizen of Muzin, it offers the people a force of heroes in times of need. Most people who choose to utilize the Zolsenda are warriors, magic users, guards and others who can call upon these abilities to support them in their careers. The elite of the Muzinish standing army are all bonded and on the battlefield are a flurry of terror. Within Muzin, the Racial Ability is regarded with caution, respect and reverence, as they believe it is a point of bringing the mortal closer to the Goddess. Outside of Muzin there are much different responses to the Muzina Abilities, and many refuse to deal with a Muzina in business or trade if it is revealed that he or she has an active Bond. Stigma: Most of the racial slurs against the Muzina are because of misunderstanding, fear or mistrust of their Zolsenda. From terms like "Baby-Eaters", "Blood Dogs", "Blood Filth", "Fire Demons", "Cannibals" and "Hell Born", the other races regard the Muzina ability to unlock these sides of themselves through such a touchy subject as a wrong or unholy act. The concept that the price they pay and the dangers associated with the Zolsenda are enough to rule out the Abilities garnered from the Bond as being safe or worth it. While the number of Lizka or YathRagazi that are produced is relatively small, and while the numbers of Lizka have fallen off almost entirely since the Death of the Twins, the possibility of willfully creating such monstrosities is considered irresponsible and 'playing with fire' by many other races - especially those who have no Racial Ability of their own and do not fully understand the level of instinct and oneness experienced when a race becomes peaceful with the potential of ones body and soul. Laws: Although there are no restrictions on adults who create the bond, it is forbidden for children to try to perform the ritual of Zolsenda. Children are not considered mature enough to withstand the change, competant enough to resist the dangers of the Zolsenda and it is unlikely that those they have chosen for their Bond Mate will be with them for the rest of their lives when they begin at such a young age. Children who are found guilty of having completed the exchange are usually executed. Those adults who make an error in their Blood Bond - such as drinking too much too soon, or drinking from more than one partner, are held accountable for legal punishment such as those discussed in the Crime section above. There is an illegal cult in Muzin called the Szeyla liyn Zol which ritually practises forming Blood Bonds between its members and then sexually teasing each other in erotic combinations of blood play, with or without restraints, sexual stimulation and sadomasochism. Those found guilty of being members of Szeyla liyn Zol are publicly stripped, mutilated and beaten to death. Mythology & Origin: While the source of the Zolsenda seems to be almost entirely related to the bizarre behaviour of their unique physiology, it cannot be denied that there is some degree of their faith involved. While the oral traditions have retroactrively added modern cultural concepts to many of their oral records of ancient times (making it difficult to discern certain aspects of historical figures) there seems to have existed some form of berserker quality related to blood in the Muzina since their earliest ancestry. It is possible that the current refined abilities and qualities of the Zolsenda, and certainly the posibility of the Lizka did not begin until after the instigation and organization of the faith of Isham. The Muzina describe the Zolsenda as 'unlocking the primal potential of the Muzina race' and many believe it is actually the Racial Ability that sets them apart from the other sentient races in the world more than any other quality. There is a great deal of education in Muzin about the potential and dangers of the Zolsenda, but almost no poem or song traditions regarding how it began or developed. This lack of transmission is unusual for the Muzina oral tradition, usually so rich with records, song and story, and because of this seeming gap in their oral records it has drawn the attention of many historians and philosophers who have so far unsuccessfully attempted to unravel the mysteries shrouding the Muzinish Racial Ability. Category:Muzina Category:Racial Abilities Category:Culture Category:Eastern Continent